Foldable seat.



'IATENTED NOV. 10, 1903';

'J. SHARKEY. FOLDABLE SEAT. APPLIOATION FILED APBPIB, 1QO3.

N0 MODEL.

IN VENTOH @2226; dyzarfiey/ A TTORN m: mam: PETERS w wumuu'nw. was

Fatented November 10, 1903.

PATENT Fries.

JAMES SHARKEY, OF EATON, OHIO.

FOLDABL'FE SEAT.

srncrrroa'rmiv formingm or Letters Patent No. 743,938, dated November 1 0, 1903.

Application filed April 16, 1903. Serial-Nu. 152,882. ca model.) i

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES SHARKEY, a citi zen of the United States, and a resident of Eaton, in the county of Preble and State of Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Foldable Seat, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description.-

This invention has for its object to provide novel details of construction for a seat having a removable top, which adapts the frame that supports the top for closing folding adj ustment and enables the opening of the frame to provide legs that are automatically locked in opened condition, whereby a stable support is afforded whereon the seat-top may be conveniently held for service. I

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described,and defined in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,

in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved seat arranged for service. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view of the seat-frame folded. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the folded seat-frame and of the seattop wrapped and secured thereon to form a package adapted for carrying by hand, and Fig. 5 is a sectional side view of the upper portion of a seat-leg and a transverse sectional view of a portion of the seat-top detachably engaged with the upper end of the leg. In the drawings, 6 represents four similar legs of equal proper length having, preferably, a cylindrical form. At an equal distance from the lower ends of the legs 6 flattened surfaces are formed on each leg, where.- on wear-plates 6 are secured, so as to slightly project outward from the bodies of the legs to serve as clearance-washers. Between each pair of legs a two-part foldable brace is held by its ends, so as to spread apart when the legs are separated and fold toward each other when the pair of legs engaged therewith are correspondingly adjusted, the construction of said foldable braces being essentially as follows: Two similar members formed of metal are crossed and pivoted together at their centers,as indicated at o,these metalbars near the pivot a curving outward at a and then extenching in pairs oppositely, the extended portions 'Ftrendin'g upwardly, and the remaining pair of brace members 7 projecting downward.

hen suitably folded,the members 7 7 are disposed in pairs parallel with each other, as shown in Fig. 3. The lower ends of the brace members 7 may with advantage have integral ring-eyes 17 formed thereon-,through which piv ot screw-bolts c are inserted and are screwed into tapped perforations in the wear-plates 6 or wood-screws employed as pivots that pass loosely through the wear plates and are screwed into the legs, either means for pivotally securing the brace members on the lower portions of the legs 6 being available and of well-known construction. The upper members 7 of the crossed braces are bent laterally and toward each other, and said lateral extensions 7", together with the brace members '7, are slotted, said slots (Z extending a proper length toward the pivot a. Each upper member '7 of each two-part 'foldable brace is pivotally secured upon a respective post 6 by means of a screw 6 or the like, that loosely engages within the slot cl and is fixed in or to the leg, so that said upper brace members 7 may slide upon the upper wear-plates 6, that are secured upon the legs at a proper equal distance from the lower wear-plates of like construction, the pivots e passing into or through the centers of the upper wear-plates. The described construction of parts disposes the pivots 6 near the'bottoms of the slots (Z when the braces and legs of the seat are folded, so as to dispose them as shown in Fig. 3, and it will be seen in Fig. 4 that the legs 6 are evenly spaced apart slightly by the bends c.

There being four foldable braces furnished for the connection and support of the legs 6 and arranged at respective sides of the legs, as indicated in Fig. 1, it will be obvious that said frames by manipulation may be opened out or closed, and thus thelegs 6 spread apart or closed up correspondingly. It will be seen that when the crossed and centrally-pivoted members 7 '7 of each foldable brace are di verged in pairs the pivots e, which are near the lower ends of the slots cl when the braces are folded, will be caused to slide toward the upper ends of said slots and enter their lateral extensions, which are formed inthe upper laterally-bent portions e, serving to lock the legs 6 and braces thereon in opened adjustment.

A knob g is formed or secured on the upper end of each leg 6, these knobs of equal size having less diameter than the bodies of the legs, so that an annular shoulder is formed 011 each leg at the base of the knob thereon.

A preferably pliable top piece 8 is a completing portion of the seat, and, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, said seat top is quadrangular in contour, having proper area to adapt it to be removably secured upon the upper ends of the legs 6 when the latter are in opened adjustment and to extend marginally outside of the legs.

To effect a convenient connection of the top 8 with the knobs g on the upper ends of the legs 6, four perforations are formed in the pliable material of the top at such points as will enable the top of the seat to be stretched when attached to said knobs. To strengthen the material of the top 8 where it is perforated for an engagement with the knobs g on the legs 6, a reinforcing four-sided ring 9 may be employed, which is preferably secured upon the lower side of the pliable top, and at the corners of said quadrangular ring circular openings 9 are formed thatregister with the perforations in the material of the top and receive the knobs g. The reinforcing-ring 9 may be of leather or other suitable tenacious material, and as it is upon the lower surface of the seat-top 8. when the latter is in use it receives strain imposed upon the top and prevents it from disrupture. To further strengthen the seattop 8, reinforcing washer-like rings 10, of leather or other available material, are secured upon the upper surface of the top, registering with the perforations therein, and thus preventing fraying of the edges of the perforations in the top piece 8, which latter may be of canvas or other fibrous material. The grooved necks on the knobs 9 receive the marginal edges of the perforations in the seat-top 8 and in the reinforcing-rings 9 10, and it will be evident that the strain due to the occupation of the seat will prevent the top 8 from accidental displacement. Furthermore,the interlocking engagement of the pivots 6, within the slotted lateral extensions 7 on the upper brace members 7, insures stability to the seat when it is arranged for service.

To open the seat-frame comprising the braces and legs hereinbefore described it is only necessary to pull outwardly on the pairs of legs 6 near their center of length, which will cause the members of the braces to spread. until the pivots e enter the upper lateral extensions of the slots d, which will adjust the frame for the reception of the seat-top 8, as before explained. Nhen it is desired to close the seat-frame, this can be readily effectedby the lifting application of the fingers of each hand to two opposite braces, engaging them directly below the pivots a, which will impose the weight of the opened structure upon the pivots e, causing the said pivots to traverse the slots d toward the pivots a, resulting in the closure of the seat-frame, as indicated in Fig. 3.

Upon the upper and lower members '7 7 of one-half of one of the leg-braces lateral buttonlike projections hi are respectively formed at their ends, and upon the top piece 8, near one edge thereof, two buttonholesm are formed that are spaced apart equally with said button projections. A looped handle 11 is secured near the center upon the normal lower side of the top piece 8, as indicated in Fig. 2.

WVhen the seat frame is in folded adjustment, the top piece 8 is removably secured as an envelop thereon by wrapping the top piece around the folded seat-frame and turning outward the side ofthe top piece having the handle 11 thereon, the edge portion of the seat-top having the buttonholes m therein being so arranged that it may lap upon the frame portion having the button projections h i thereon. and permit an insertion of said projections through the buttonholes m, which will produce a compact package with the handle 11 projected therefrom for the convenient carriage of the folded seat.

While it is preferred to employ pliable material for the seat-top, it is obvious that rigid material may be utilized in its formation, if this is desired.

The foldable frame composed of the legs 8 and crossed braces therefor may be applied as a support for different objects-as, for example, it may be employed as a support for a burial-casket, dispensing'with the usual trestles and by elongating the frame may be used as a support for a foldable cot, a table, an easel-support, a foldable support for a field-camera, and other analogous purposes. I therefore do not wish to confine the use of the improved foldable frame to the production of a seat only.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. A foldable support for a seat or the like, comprising a plurality of legs, a plurality of braces for said legs, each brace comprising two crossed bars pivoted together near their centers, lower ends of said bars pivoted on lower portions of respective pairs of legs, upper portions of the brace-bars held to slide on' respective pairs of legs, whereby the legs may be spread apart and closed together, and releasable locking means, on the upper ends of the brace bars, which means hold said ends spaced apart for support of the seat.

2. A foldable support for a seat or the like, comprising four legs, and four foldable braces for the said legs, each brace comprising two crossed bars pivoted together where they cross, the lower ends of said bars being pivoted upon the lower portions of two of the legs, the members of the crossed brace-bars above their pivot connection, being longitudinally slotted and pivoted upon the upper parts of the legs through said slots.

3. A foldable support fora seat or the like,

l comprising four legs, and four foldable braces for said legs, each brace comprising two bars crossed near their centers and pivoted together where they cross, the lower ends of said bars being pivoted upon the lower portions of two ofthe legs, the members of the crossed brace-bars above their pivot connection each having a laterally-bent extension at the upper end, said members and their lateral extensions being longitudinally slotted and pivoted upon the respective upper parts of the legs, through said slots.

4. In a foldable seat, the combination with four legs, four two-part braces, each brace comprising two crossed bars pivoted together where they cross, pivots in the lower ends of the crossed bars, engaging the flattened sides on the legs, near their lower ends, the upper portionsof said crossed bars having longitudinal slots therein and slotted lateral extensions at their upper ends, and pivots that pass through said slots,engaging the flattened sides on the upper portions of the legs, of a seat-top relnovably securable on the upper ends of the legs.

5. In a foldable seat, the combination with four posts, fiat wear-plates on the posts, near their upper and lower ends, a knob on the upper end of each post, four foldable braces respectively engaging pairsof the posts, each foldable brace comprisingtwo bars, crossed near their centers and pivoted together where they cross, the lower ends of said bars being pivoted upon the wear-plates, near the lower ends of a pair of posts, the members of the crossed bars above the central pivot having lateral extensions at their upper ends, longitudinal slots in said members and in their lateral extensions, and pivots passing through said slots into engagement with the posts at the upper wear-plates thereon, of a pliable top piece, and reinforcing-rings thereon, having perforations to receive the knobs on the legs.

6. In a device of the character described, the pliable top piece for the seat, having a quadrangular strengthening-ring on the normal lower side, and washer-rings on the upper side thereof, disposed at the perforated corners of the quadrangular ring, the top piece being perforated in alineinent with the openings in the reinforcing-rings.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with a plurality of legs, and braces pivoted at their lower ends on the legs, upper portions of the braces being held to slide on pivots near their upper ends, thus producing an expansible and foldable seatframe, of a pliable top piece adapted to be detachably secured upon the legs at their upper ends when said legs are spread apart by the braces, and also'to be wrapped and secured as an envelop around the folded seatframe, and a handle on the top piece that aids portage of the folded seat when the top piece is wrapped and secured around the seat-frame.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in. the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES SHARKEY.

Witnesses:

J. W. AMMERMAN, W. G. Dovn. 

